Getting rid of bees can be a rather tricky proposition, especially if you're allergic to them. Angering a swarm of bees, or even one bee, can leave a person with painful stings. Instead of immediately approaching bees that are looking to take up residence on your property, it is wise to observe them from a safe location, such as a window inside your home, and then call for professional bee removal. Do not spray, throw rocks, or attempt to discourage their presence in any way at this point.

The best time to move bees is before they create a new hive, so call a beekeeper to remove them before they've done so. Sometimes, beekeepers will visit a property and remove the bees without charging a fee. He or she will typically arrive with a box to put the bees in and get the queen and some of the other bees into the box. Then, he or she will put a lid on the box, which should have holes to allow other bees to enter, following their queen. The beekeeper will probably wait until night to complete the removal.

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If the bees have created a hive already, it's best to call in a professional bee removal service. Some local beekeepers may still be interested, however, so it's smart to check with them first. A professional service should remove the bees, the hive, and the honey. It is very important to get rid of the honey too, especially if the bees have taken up residence in a wall, attic, or other home structure. Leftover honey is sure to attract pests to a home.

Some people recommend painting the area of the previous bee swarm with light-blue paint. They assert that bees will think it's the sky and refuse to set up hives there or even land. They recommend painting right after the bees are removed. Others claim painting in blue will merely give a property a new look, doing nothing to discourage bees.

Some people attempt bee removal on their own, without the help of professionals. They may use chemical sprays to kill bees or smokers to calm the bees and make removing them, and the hive, easier. Sprays and smokers can typically be found in hardware stores and home-improvement shops. It is best to use these methods at night, when all the bees are likely to be in the hive.

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Discuss this Article

SarahSonPost 14

I am allergic to bees, and would be scared to death to even be close to a bee swarm removal. Even when they wear a bee suit and mask for protection I would be afraid I would still get stung and am amazed at the people who actually enjoy working with bees like this.

golf07Post 13

As far as honeybees go, what many people don't realize is that a swarm of honeybees is actually quite gentle. When honeybees swarm they are looking for a new home and have no hive full of honey to protect so they are not defensive. As long as their queen is with them, they will stay in that swarm until a new home is found. You still need to be protected when you remove the bees, but they are not angry during this time.

I have been keeping bees for about 5 years and depending on where the bees are, enjoy removing them. We got a call from a construction company where some honeybees had set up a whole new

hive between pieces of wood that were stacked up in their yard.

These bees were much easier to remove than some that are clear up at the top of a tree. There can be some dangerous situations when it comes to bee hive removal and you don't get to decide where the bees are going to land.

I think it is best to contact someone who knows what they are doing when it comes to removing bees. For a beekeeper, a swarm or hive of bees can end up being very profitable for them and many of them are glad to do it.

We had a bunch of bees that had set up some kind of hive and were doing a great job of pollinating my vegetable garden, but I didn't want them around because my kids played outside all the time.

I called a local beekeeper to come and remove the bees and they were happy to come and check it out. They were hoping it was a bunch of honeybees but they turned out to be some kind of hornet instead.

Since they weren't interested in this type of bee they recommended we spray something inside their nest at night to kill them. I am glad my husband took care of this for me. I don't know for sure what he used to spray them with, but they have not come back.

myharleyPost 11

@anon91608 -- As a beekeeper I completely agree with you about how important honeybees are. They are awesome pollinators and I don't think most people realize how responsible they are for a lot of the food we love to eat. I am glad there are organizations that are in business to help save bees.

As far as bee removal goes, it can be quite tricky if they have set up their hive inside a house. Some places are much easier to remove bees from than others. If they swarm to a tree outside, that is an ideal situation, but it doesn't always happen that way and I think that is when some people panic and want to remove the bees by killing them.

anon216760Post 10

Okay so to all you people that are claiming the bee removal is a joke, it's not. I have a hole in the side of my house that the bees has taken over. I assumed it was only a couple of weeks they were there but finding out now it's not true, I had a bee person come to the house to take them out.

However, three weeks later, the bees came back and twice as many, so now my husband has a shop vac and is sucking them out of the hole. Come to find out there is a honeycomb inside the wall and we have to get this out because the smell will attract either more bees, rats

, mice, ants -- whatever crawls. The bees are in the wall and are fanning the honey to keep it in the comb.

Once these bees are gone the honey will start melting, and when it melts you will have honey seeping through the walls or attract other crawling animals. Take my advice: unless you know for sure that the bees have only been there a couple of days, contact a bee removal service.

OK. I agree with some of the comments but paying $300 is reasonable considering the danger. If not, do it yourself then. Also if treated right and the hive removal is successful the chance of re-infestation is minute. You don't mind paying a professional money to fix your car or AC unit would you? So what's the difference? The difference is they can be very dangerous!

anon91608Post 8

One of the main reasons Queen Bee Removal in Los Angeles is in business is to save bees. Their existence has been depreciating and we "people" don't realize how important of a role these little creatures play in our lives.

anon87451Post 7

My dad just recently took up bee keeping. He just did his first major bee removal with my help and another of our friends.

We took out two hives in a house and one from under a tree. It took 10 hours from start to finish. $300 per hive is definitely not too much to ask when you figure out all the tools and equipment needed to do the job right.

If you don't get all the comb out and wash out the cavity well you will have bees come back eventually. the insecticides wear off but the bees can still smell the comb in the wall and will try to get back in even after six months as in the previous posts.

anon85530Post 6

How do they get the bees out of cement block? we think they are going through the outside light fixture. usually they are active around 5:30 or so.

BeeRemovalPost 5

Well you have to be very careful, anon48876. It's always better to hire an specialist. Professional work is always the best way to go.

anon74271Post 4

We bought a foreclosed home and bees had set up house keeping inside the walls.

I called Walt and Beth, Bee Custodians, and they came out with their space suits, smoker and vacuum. They worked hard and diligently and though we had to cut away exterior and interior walls, they were able to remove the combs and bees.

The honey dripped everywhere and was messy but they got the job done. It took about six hours and he gathered the last of the bees at nightfall when they return to the nest. Walt and Beth are mighty nice folks!

anon70343Post 3

Five years ago we had a colony of honeybees in the ceiling of our old farm house.

We called ABC Bee Removal in a neighboring town. They charged $300, applied some dust, told me to plug up the hole at evening (which I did). The bees were gone for about six months. But they are back as strong as ever! Discouraged in MI

thebeemanPost 2

I wish there was a date on the comment above because we get those calls all the time from people claiming that our prices are more than they expect and they decide to buy some wasp and hornet spray and unload wherever they see the bees.

What you don't see here is that 90 percent of the time this doesn't work unless you caught the bees right when they moved in. Even more, the problem usually gets much worse after the treatments. Because while i appreciate the expense is one most people are not prepared for, it will usually cost a customer a lot more if they tried to take care of it themselves, since all spraying usually does is force the bees into another cavity and now there's honeycomb in two places on the property instead of the original one.

anon48876Post 1

I have researched bee removal and most of these jokers want three hundred dollars to get rid of them. I don't have that kind of money and because no one would come to a compromise with me i took on the task myself. guess what you over priced bee thieves? Your job is a joke!It took a little time and spray and the bees be gone! Find some little old lady to rob because you won't bee coming near my wallet!

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